Written Answers Monday 8 February 2010

Scottish Executive

Cancer

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the survival rate is for people with oesophageal cancer and how this compares with other (a) types of cancer and (b) OECD countries.

Nicola Sturgeon: Data on the estimated survival rates for oesophageal cancer patients in Scotland can be found at:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/servlet/FileBuffer?namedFile=cancer_oesophagus_surv.xls&pContentDispositionType=inline.

  The most recent rates that have been calculated are for the period of diagnosis from 2000 to 2004.

  Survival rates for other types of cancer in Scotland are summarised in the document Trends in Cancer Survival in Scotland, 1980-2004: at:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/files/Survival_summary_8004.pdf.

  Information on survival rates for oesophageal cancer in OECD countries is not held centrally, however data relating to selected European countries are available in the following table:

  Cancer of the Oesophagus (ICD-10 C15)

  Relative Survival1 (%) at One and Five Years following Diagnosis for those Diagnosed Aged 15 to 99 in 1995-1999

  

Country2
1 year (%)
5 year (%)


Denmark
27.5
5.2


Finland
34.5
11.1


Iceland
35.4
-


Norway
30.8
8.3


Sweden
36.0
12.7


Ireland
32.7
12.6


UK England
32.9
9.9


UK Northern Ireland
36.7
12.1


UK Scotland
33.3
10.3


UK Wales
33.5
13.3


Austria
34.8
10.6


Belgium
44.1
19.0


France
43.1
12.4


Germany
40.3
19.2


Netherlands
37.0
11.7


Switzerland
44.2
12.8


Italy
38.3
11.2


Malta
23.8
3.2


Portugal
33.9
12.5


Slovenia
22.8
7.0


Spain
35.7
9.7


Czech Republic
26.1
3.1


Poland
23.2
7.6


Europe
35.8
11.1



  Reference: Sant M, Allemani C, Santaquilani M, Knijn A, Marchesi F, Capocaccia R, and the EUROCARE Working Group. EUROCARE-4. Survival of cancer patient diagnosed in 1995-99. Results and commentary. European Journal of Cancer April 2009; 45(6): 931-991.

  Notes:

  "-" = zero value

  1. Relative survival rates are those adjusted to take account of the mortality rates in the general population.

  2. Not all of the countries listed have 100% of their populations covered by cancer registration.

Cancer

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the incidence of oesophageal cancer has been in each year since 1960.

Nicola Sturgeon: The incidence (numbers and rates) of oesophageal cancer in Scotland for the period 1960-2007, is shown in the following table:

  Cancer of the Oesophagus1, Scotland: 1960-20072

  Numbers of Diagnoses and Age-Standardised Rates (EASRs)3

  

Year of Diagnosis2
Number of Diagnoses
EASR3
Year of Diagnosis2
Number of Diagnoses
EASR3


1960
227
4.9
1984
558
9.6


1961
291
6.0
1985
549
9.5


1962
242
5.1
1986
514
8.9


1963
269
5.3
1987
598
10.2


1964
294
6.0
1988
597
10.0


1965
267
5.4
1989
614
10.4


1966
282
5.5
1990
664
11.2


1967
347
6.9
1991
639
10.6


1968
351
7.0
1992
683
11.4


1969
328
6.3
1993
804
13.1


1970
344
6.5
1994
776
12.8


1971
346
6.6
1995
787
12.8


1972
365
6.8
1996
837
13.6


1973
365
6.9
1997
755
12.3


1974
372
6.8
1998
762
12.4


1975
481
8.9
1999
788
12.5


1976
459
8.3
2000
746
11.8


1977
494
8.9
2001
782
12.1


1978
475
8.7
2002
832
12.9


1979
516
9.5
2003
812
12.4


1980
528
9.3
2004
871
13.1


1981
565
9.7
2005
821
12.3


1982
548
9.6
2006
838
12.3


1983
561
9.9
2007
820
11.9



  Source: Scottish Cancer Registry, ISD.

  Notes:

  1. Defined as: ICD-10 C15. Cases diagnosed prior to 1997 have been recoded to ICD-10.

  2. Information regarding the number of patients diagnosed prior to 1975 is regarded as less reliable.

  3. EASR: age-standardised incidence rate per 100,000 person-years at risk (European standard population).

Cancer

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the incidence of oesophageal cancer in people under 55 has been in each year since 1960.

Nicola Sturgeon: The incidence (numbers and rates) of oesophageal cancer in people under 55 in Scotland for the period 1960-2007, is shown in the following table:

  Cancer of the Oesophagus1, Scotland: 1960-20072

  Numbers of Diagnoses and Age-Standardised Rates (EASRs)3 in Patients Aged Under 55 at Diagnosis

  

Year of Diagnosis2
Number of Diagnoses
EASR3
Year of Diagnosis2
Number of Diagnoses
EASR3


1960
33
0.9
1984
39
1.2


1961
42
1.1
1985
49
1.5


1962
37
1.0
1986
35
1.1


1963
42
1.1
1987
52
1.6


1964
43
1.2
1988
57
1.8


1965
42
1.2
1989
63
1.9


1966
33
0.9
1990
63
1.9


1967
40
1.1
1991
69
2.1


1968
47
1.4
1992
74
2.2


1969
49
1.4
1993
77
2.3


1970
59
1.7
1994
73
2.1


1971
38
1.1
1995
64
1.8


1972
41
1.2
1996
84
2.4


1973
36
1.0
1997
94
2.6


1974
54
1.5
1998
76
2.0


1975
55
1.6
1999
73
1.9


1976
47
1.4
2000
90
2.3


1977
55
1.7
2001
72
1.9


1978
52
1.6
2002
71
1.9


1979
52
1.6
2003
81
2.1


1980
43
1.3
2004
73
1.9


1981
44
1.3
2005
79
2.0


1982
59
1.8
2006
76
2.0


1983
50
1.5
2007
72
1.8



  Source: Scottish Cancer Registry, ISD.

  Notes:

  1. Defined as: ICD-10 C15. Cases diagnosed prior to 1997 have been recoded to ICD-10.

  2. Information regarding the number of patients diagnosed prior to 1975 is regarded as less reliable.

  3. EASR: age-standardised incidence rate per 100,000 person-years at risk (European standard population).

Cancer

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people with oesophageal cancer have (a) had and (b) not had surgery as part of their treatment in each year since 1960.

Nicola Sturgeon: The specific information requested is not collected centrally. However, numbers and percentages of oesophageal cancer patients in Scotland diagnosed in the period 1981-2007 who have had surgery as part of their treatment are available in the following table:

  Cancer of the Oesophagus1, Scotland: 1981-2007

  Annual Tallies of Diagnoses and those Undergoing Selected Surgical Procedures2,3,4,5,6

  

Year of Diagnosis
Number of Diagnoses
Number Undergoing Surgery2,3,4,5,6
% Undergoing Surgery2,3,4,5,6


1981
565
356
63.0


1982
548
350
63.9


1983
561
365
65.1


1984
558
353
63.3


1985
549
368
67.0


1986
514
340
66.1


1987
598
400
66.9


1988
597
406
68.0


1989
614
341
55.5


1990
664
418
63.0


1991
639
387
60.6


1992
683
420
61.5


1993
804
491
61.1


1994
776
497
64.0


1995
787
510
64.8


1996
838
551
65.8


1997
755
525
69.5


1998
762
503
66.0


1999
788
525
66.6


2000
746
446
59.8


2001
782
478
61.1


2002
832
512
61.5


2003
812
452
55.7


2004
871
523
60.0


2005
822
468
56.9


2006
838
456
54.4


2007
829
437
52.7



  Source: Scottish Cancer Registry, ISD; SMR01 (hospital inpatient / day case discharges).

  Notes:

  1. Defined as: ICD-9 150 (1981-1996); ICD-10 C15 (1997-2007).

  2. Defined as: 1981-1989: OPCS-3 291-292, 294-295, 296.9; 1989 to present: OPCS-4 G01-G05, G11, G13-G15, G17-G18, also G42-G44, G46 with operation site code Z27.1 to indicate oesophagus.

  3. The percentages of patients undergoing surgery are approximate due to data quality issues.

  4. Information regarding the number of patients who have had surgery prior to 1981 is not held centrally.

  5. Information regarding the number of patients who have not had surgery as part of their treatment is not held centrally.

  6. Note that patients diagnosed in more recent years have been followed up for less time, which may explain the lower numbers and percentages recorded as undergoing any relevant surgical procedure.

Education

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost is of upgrading each (a) primary and (b) secondary school to the requirements of the Curriculum for Excellence, broken down by local authority.

Keith Brown: Curriculum for Excellence does not require the upgrading of school buildings. Where authorities consider that modifications might be appropriate for individual schools, the assessment of the possible costs are a matter for local authorities, according to local needs and circumstances.

Freedom of Information

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has issued guidance or instructions to its directorates and agencies about their approach to requests under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Bruce Crawford: Yes, a range of guidance is available for Scottish Government staff on how to handle freedom of information requests. Most recently, interim guidance has been provided on a Court of Session case which found against the Scottish Information Commissioner. This guidance is in the course of being updated.

  I also refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31196 on 8 February 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Freedom of Information

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its directorates and agencies comply with the guidance of 27 January 2010 from the Scottish Information Commissioner as to their approach when applicants request copies of documents.

Bruce Crawford: The Scottish Information Commissioner has just published guidance on the impact of a recent Court of Session decision which clarified that the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 provides a right to information not documents. We are working closely with the commissioner in order to update our guidance to staff on the handling of requests for information, to take account of the commissioner’s guidance and the court’s decision.

Health

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the new guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) on reducing the risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in patients admitted to hospital in England and Wales, whether there are plans to introduce similar guidelines in Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon: Assessment of hospital patients’ risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are collectively known, has been advocated as part of the management of VTE since at least 2002, when Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) Guideline 62 on Prophylaxis of VTE was published. The Scottish Patient Safety Programme’s peri-operative work stream builds on this by collecting data on the percentage of eligible surgical patients receiving DVT prophylaxis.

  A revised version of SIGN Guideline 62 is due to be published in October 2010. We intend to work closely with SIGN to ensure that the Guideline and its recommendations are widely publicised and implemented throughout NHS Scotland.

Health

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to embed community benefit clauses in NHS contracts.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS contracts are a matter for the NHS to determine. The Scottish Government is working with partners in the public sector, including NHS National Procurement, and the third sector to raise the profile of community benefit clauses within contracts.

Healthcare Associated Infection

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29405 by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 December 2009, when the short life group review of membership and terms of reference for the Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Task Force and Stakeholder Group will be published.

Nicola Sturgeon: Progress with the review was discussed at the 8 December 2009 meeting of the HAI Task Force. It was agreed that further work was needed to clarify future governance, remit and accountability arrangements. The short life group is taking this work forward and will present their conclusions at the next meeting of the HAI Task Force on 31 March 2010.

  The findings will be published, once an outcome from the review has been reached.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-30251 by Alex Neil on 21 January 2010, how much of the £137,000 represents the cost of land.

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-30251 by Alex Neil on 21 January 2010, how much of the £137,000 represents the cost of designing the property.

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-30251 by Alex Neil on 21 January 2010, how much of the £137,000 represents the cost of building the property.

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-30251 by Alex Neil on 21 January 2010, how much of the £137,000 represents costs other than land, design and building.

Alex Neil: The breakdown of this figure into the various cost elements to arrive at the final purchase piece will vary from site to site and be influenced by location and type of property. Under the procurement process any bids would be assessed to ensure that they offer good value for public money and good quality homes of the right type in suitable locations.

Influenza

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions complaints have been received about the release of personal details related to deaths from influenza A (H1N1) and who was responsible for the release of such details in each case.

Nicola Sturgeon: Throughout the Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, we have been acutely aware of the sensitivities of families in relation to the deaths of their loved ones and have attempted to preserve the confidentiality of the person who died, while at the same time discharging our duty to report openly on matters which are in the public interest. There have, however, been two occasions on which complaints have been received by the Scottish Government in relation to information contained in Scottish Government news releases.

Influenza

Nicol Stephen (Aberdeen South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scotland-based patients have received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment for the influenza A (H1N1) virus or related illness at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary; when each patient was treated, and in which NHS board area each patient lived.

Nicola Sturgeon: Three Scotland-based patients have received Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) treatment for the influenza A (H1N1) virus or related illness at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. The resident boards of each of these patients and the dates when ECMO treatment commenced are as follows:

  

Resident NHS Board Area
Date ECMO Treatment Commenced


Grampian
17 October 2009


Dumfries and Galloway
4 December 2009


Grampian
23 December 2009

Livestock

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the report of the Bull Hire Review Group.

Roseanna Cunningham: I have carefully considered the report and have decided that in the interests of delivery timescales and efficiency that the scheme should continue from a streamlined government owned stud based at Inverness. The report and minutes of the Bull Hire Review Group will now be published on the Scottish Government website.

Livestock

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the future of the Bull Hire Scheme, whether it is considering an option of tendering for the provision of the service.

Roseanna Cunningham: The very informative and detailed report presented to me by the Bull Hire Review Group on 30 November 2009 presented a number of options. One of these related to tendering for the provision of the service. I have, however, decided in the interests of delivery timescales and efficiency to streamline the existing government stud farm at Inverness with the long term view ideally being one of communities keeping and owning the bulls where they are needed.

NHS Finance

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the proposed per capita spend is in each NHS board area in 2009-10.

Nicola Sturgeon: The proposed per capita spend by each territorial NHS board in 2009-10 is shown in the following table.

  

NHS Board
Per Capita Spend £


Ayrshire and Arran
1,842


Borders
1,757


Dumfries and Galloway
1,900


Fife
1,621


Forth Valley
1,602


Grampian
1,536


Greater Glasgow and Clyde
1,903


Highland
1,881


Lanarkshire
1,673


Lothian
1,517


Orkney
2,204


Shetland
2,283


Tayside
1,806


Western Isles
2,790

NHS Hospitals

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the (a) estimated capital value and (b) timescale of the Southern General Hospital compares with the original project cost and timescale estimates.

Nicola Sturgeon: When the new South Glasgow Hospitals and laboratory project was formally announced on 22 May 2008 by Shona Robinson MSP the value of the project was £841.7 million. The value of the scheme remains within £841.7 million.

  The February 2008 Outline Business Case (OBC) submitted by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GG&C) provided indicative construction timescales as these cannot be firmed up until the procurement process is completed and the final building solution and its phasing is known.

  The OBC said that the Children’s Hospital would be completed 1st quarter of 2013 and the adult hospital 2nd quarter of 2014. NHS GG&C have indicated that this did not include commissioning time. NHS GG&C have estimated this would have been a maximum period of up to six months. This would have meant the Children’s Hospital being operational 3rd quarter 2013 and adult hospital 4th quarter 2014. Whilst demolitions and landscaping were known to be required the OBC did not set out specifically how and when these would be undertaken.

  The procurement process was concluded at the end of 2009 and only then could firmer timescales be stated.

  The details of the build programme to be implemented were made available when the preferred bidder was announced on 6 November 2009. The phases are as follows:

  Stage 1 - Laboratories construction

  Stage 2 – Final detailed design of the new Children’s and Adult hospitals

  Stage 3 – Construction of the Children’s and Adult’s hospitals

  Stage 3a- Demolition of Surgical complex and landscaping.

  The successful bidder proposed that both adult and children’s hospitals should be developed concurrently for reasons of operational management, infection control and patient/staff safety.

  Both the new adults and children’s hospitals are expected to be completed in January 2015 and fully operational by June 2015. Phase 3a will then be undertaken, whilst both hospitals are operational, and be completed by the summer of 2016.

NHS Staff

Dave Thompson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many dermatologists are working in Scotland and where they are based.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on staff in post is published annually by National Services Scotland, Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland as part of the workforce census as at 30 September each year. Data for hospital, community and public health services medical and dental staff by specialty, grade, NHS region and NHS board is available at http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/5896.html .

NHS Staff

Dave Thompson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many rheumatology specialist nurses are working in Scotland and where they are based.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on staff in post is published annually by National Services Scotland, Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland as part of the workforce census as at 30 September each year. Data for clinical nurse specialists by specialty, NHS region and NHS board is available at:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/5352.html - cns.

NHS Staff

Dave Thompson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many dermatology specialist nurses are working in Scotland and where they are based.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on staff in post is published annually by National Services Scotland, Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland as part of the workforce census as at 30 September each year. Data for clinical nurse specialists by specialty, NHS region and NHS board is available at:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/5352.html - cns.